countenance
Americannoun
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countenances
plural
-
appearance, especially the look or expression of the face.
a sad countenance.
-
the face; visage.
-
calm facial expression; composure.
-
approval or favor; encouragement; moral support.
-
Obsolete. bearing; behavior.
verb (used with object)
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countenances,
present (3rd person singular)
-
countenanced,
past participle, past
-
countenancing
present participle
-
to permit or tolerate.
You should not have countenanced his rudeness.
-
to approve, support, or encourage.
idioms
noun
-
the face, esp when considered as expressing a person's character or mood
a pleasant countenance
-
support or encouragement; sanction
-
composure; self-control (esp in the phrases keep or lose one's countenance; out of countenance )
verb
-
to support or encourage; sanction
-
to tolerate; endure
Synonym Usage
See face.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
countenancesimple
-
countenancessimple
-
have countenancedperfect
-
has countenancedperfect
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am countenancingprogressive
-
are countenancingprogressive
-
is countenancingprogressive
-
have been countenancingperfect progressive
-
has been countenancingperfect progressive
Past
-
countenancedsimple
-
had countenancedperfect
-
was countenancingprogressive
-
were countenancingprogressive
-
had been countenancingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of countenance
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English cuntenaunce “behavior, bearing, self-control,” from Anglo-French cuntena(u)nce, Old French contenance, from Medieval Latin “way of living, demeanor,” from Latin continentia “self-control, restraint”; see continence
Explanation
The noun countenance means the face or its expression. If you're a great poker player, you probably have a calm countenance. Countenance comes from a French word for "behavior," but it has become a fancy term for either the expression of a face or the face itself: "He had a puzzled countenance," or "what a charming countenance!" Countenance can also be a verb meaning to tolerate or approve. If someone does something offensive, tell them, "I'm afraid I can't countenance that."
Vocabulary lists containing countenance
"The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe
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Face It: Selfie Vocab
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"The Raven"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Mateta made clear at the time that he saw his long-term future away from Selhurst Park and the club signed Jorgen Strand Larsen from Wolves in a deal worth £48m to countenance his anticipated exit.
From BBC ● May 28, 2026
But despite soundtracking 128 episodes worth of hormonal melodrama, Cole’s song most immediately evokes one image: the devilishly handsome, All-American countenance of the show’s star, James Van Der Beek.
From Salon ● Feb. 15, 2026
There was no way Ratcliffe would countenance extending that at a time when he is determined to cut costs and bring the wage bill down.
From BBC ● Jan. 22, 2026
The aim, colleges and advisers explain, is to probe how well students can countenance other viewpoints.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 25, 2025
Ulbrickson was also the least talkative man on campus, perhaps in the state, legendary for his reticence and the inscrutability of his countenance.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
The settings do not merely suggest sterility but concentrate the mind on the performers’ fascinating countenances.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
These striking works center on modeled, black-and-white countenances in front of flat blossoms, also monochromatic but sometimes overlaid with color.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 24, 2023
Every person faces the same way, their countenances drawn and unsmiling, a picture of dreary conformity.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 9, 2018
There are entire generations of entertainers now walking around with peculiarly immobilized, sandblasted-looking cookie cutter countenances.
From Salon ● Mar. 4, 2014
At the severity of their countenances, I felt a chill.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
It understood its sector — venture capitalists and technology start-ups — and made loans that national banks would never have countenanced.
From New York Times ● Apr. 1, 2023
Because it is outrageous that such a wealthy city has countenanced inhuman living conditions like this for years.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 25, 2023
Ms. Notz, though, said the founders never countenanced the idea of revocation so those shouldn’t count.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 28, 2022
Too stupid or too bold to be countenanced as serious.
From Slate ● Jan. 5, 2021
To places that didn’t share a border with slave states, had never countenanced the abomination of slavery.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
If Holmes’ constant appeal is an easily solvable case, then countenancing the possibility that there may be much more to his life than what Doyle shared isn’t impossible either.
From Salon ● Apr. 16, 2025
Even this court, though, can hopefully still be shamed from countenancing the worst abuses of power likely to come before them.
From Slate ● May 18, 2023
Even wise, cool heads, such as the French diplomatist Jean-Marie Guéhenno, are seriously countenancing the idea that a no-deal Brexit may be better than prolonging the agony.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 9, 2019
At any rate, Rubio got flak from the right, which accused him of somehow countenancing illegal activity.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 10, 2015
None of them would have done it, and Mr. Bewicke was put down as mad for countenancing such an action.
From In the Tail of the Peacock by Isabel Savory
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